Tag Archives: Queen of Soul

Aretha Franklin was born Aretha Louise Franklin on March 25, 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee. She grew up in Detroit Michigan. Aretha was known world-wide as the undisputed “Queen of Soul”. After a long battle with pancreatic cancer, Aretha Franklin transitioned Thursday, August 16, 2018, in her Detroit, Michigan home. She was 76.

Although Aretha and I have never met, my entire life was filled with listening to both her gospel and her secular music. As such, I came to love her voice, her singing style, and of course, her music.

Aretha Franklin was indeed an icon, a legend, a musical genius, and a musical goddess, if you will. She was also a humanitarian – a real person in terms of her character, her down-to-earth attitude, and her common touch with her community. Although Aretha will sorely and surely be missed by me and by millions of people the world over,her legacy will live on.

I am grateful and thankful for Aretha Franklin and for her countless yet selfless contributions to the entertainment and music industries, most especially to the [U.S.] Civil Rights movement, and to human society overall. I love you.

Many people – and supposedly even Aretha Franklin herself, are/have been asking for prayers for her reportedly gravely ill health. The fact is, prayers do not work and will not work to change her situation. There is zero evidence of prayers ever being answered on the supernatural or so-called “divine” level. Only the science of medicine, Aretha’s physical ability to heal, and her own will power to live can ever have a hope of improved health. It is, has always been, and will always be the same as anyone else in any ill or poor health situation.

As much as I may love and respect Aretha Franklin and much of her work, I only understand and can accept one fact that’s based on the reality of life: when it’s Aretha’s time to transition (i.e., die) it will simply happen. While some readers may consider my words to be “cruel and insensitive” (which isn’t at all my intent), it doesn’t change the truth of the matter; one which awaits us all someday.

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